Did You Say Snails?

The Little Snails Restaurant 

Pyrmont

Garden snails. The things you find in your backyard. The shells you step on after in rains in Summer. Take you back to when you were a kid, collecting them in a bucket. 

 Snails, its not something I would have ever considered eating. 

BUT  OH BOY WAS A I WRONG! 

I have known about The Little Snail for quite some time, but I’ve only managed to visit it the other day. The Little Snail restaurant is located in the iconic Darling Harbour, Sydney. I was actually quite surprised when learning that for 3-course lunch menu, they ‘only’ charge $38. I think it’s quite a decent price given the location of the restaurant. 

For mains, I had the beef tenderloin with a red wine jus and the salmon on crab risotto. The beef was delicious and very well cooked. The jus was rich and flavoursome and it was a satisfying dish to eat. 

The salmon was also well cooked, the risotto and roasted pepper coulis were the perfect accompaniment. 

Calamari was perfectly cooked; lightly crunchy batter and soft and succulent meat, with no chewiness at all.

The Snails, were a dish to share. Cause when you are at a French Resturant ... why not? 

 The snails... Oh my, the snails. In a rich butter and garlic sauce! A must try here. 

I wasnt expecting so much flavour. I must say having snail for the first time is weird. The texture is unusual. But looking beyond that and you will be encapsulated with the seasoning, the fresh combination of herbs and the side of fresh bread. 

The desserts of creme caramel and sticky date pudding were a great finish to the meal. The right portion size was given. The date pudding was moist with a light caramel drizzle placed all over.  A wonderful treat to end the night!

The servings are good and overall it was a great experience. 

Overall Rating:

5/5 Stars

Recommendation:
Snails! Dont be scared! Life is all about new experiences. A great place to enjoy the city night life and indulge in the French cuisine. 

Services: 

Table Service

Fully Licensed
Lunch
Dinner
Bar 

Address: 

50 Murray St, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Hours:

Tuesday	12–3pm, 5:30–9pm
Wednesday	12–3pm, 5:30–9pm
Thursday	12–3pm, 5:30–9pm
Friday	12–3pm, 5:30–10pm
Saturday	12–3pm, 5:30–10pm
Sunday	12–3pm, 5:30–9pm
Monday	12–3pm, 5:30–9pm

Price Range:

$35-120

Check Out The Menu:

thelittlesnail.com.au

Moreeeee Toooo Commee!

Lauren 

Breakfast for Champions

Echo on the Marina

Roseville

Nestled away under the comfort of the Roseville Bridge you will find Echo on the Marina, a quaint family owned café located on the waters edge of the Roseville Marina.

Deciding it was a nice morning for breakfast there was no other place to go to enjoy the sunshine, water and yummy food.

After following the winding trail of stairs we found ourselves right on the marina, hungry

for whatever we could find, we started with a hot chocolate each.

Possibly one of the greatest hot chocolates I've had, so warm and creamy a great

starter while browsing the menu for food.



Settling for one of the classics, eggs your way, we got scrambled eggs with a side of bacon each. After waiting for a while for our food to arrive, when it finally did, we dug in.

Boy was it worth the wait, the eggs so creamy, with the perfect amount of seasoning

and the crispy sourdough toast paired perfectly. The bacon crispy and delicious.

It really was money well spent.

Whoever thought bacon and eggs could be so great?

Overall Rating:

5/5 stars

Recommendation:

Great spot with a beautiful view, definitely try the eggs or maybe pop by for lunch.

Services:

Breakfast

Lunch

Coffee/tea

Cake

Location

15 Normac St

Roseville NSW 2069

Hours:

Wednesday - Sunday 8am - 4pm

Check out the Menu

http://echoonthemarina.com.au/menu.html

Talk Soon,

Madison





A lunch with a view!

Waterfall Cafe

Kariong

Getting an early mark on a Tuesday definitely calls for a celebration! Finding this little treasure was definitely a highlight of the week! Not only is is easily accessible, but also secluded at the same time. Nice, quiet, beautiful surroundings with a view of Mt Penang Gardens creates an unforgettable atmosphere!

Although simple and laid back, the menu offered a range of foods, from sandwiches and wraps, to melts, pastas, barramundi, steak and much much more!

I regret that we had very little time to spare once there, but I could not resist taking photos of the entree and three pastas we ordered.

We started off by sharing a Moroccan Chicken Salad between the three of us. To our surprise not only was it full of flavour but also a generous serving! A whole chicken breast on a huge bed of salad with home-made mango and mint dressing! Delicious!

Penne Calabrese (chicken, semi sun dried tomatoes in a creamy pesto sauce)

Penne Mona Lisa (prawns, mushrooms, semi sun dried tomatoes in creamy nap sauce) and

Penne Boscaiola (bacon, onion, mushrooms in a white wine sauce).

Three words: To Die For!

 The wait time was also not long considering everything was made fresh to order, salad arrived within 10 minutes and once we finished that, the pastas were on our table within 5! 

To finish off we all grabbed a cup of coffee and were very impressed with the great flavour and barista skills! Definitely coming back again!

To conclude, this place is great value for money and mouth watering, full of flavour, delicious food.

Overall Rating:

5/5 Stars

Recommendation:
A great place to relax, unwind, enjoy a meal and/or cofee with family or friends. Also a beautifu spot for potential places to take your someone special. Beautiful scenary, great value for money, amazing food and good service. 

Services: 

Garden 

Table Service
Inside and Outside Tables
Fully Licensed
BYO Wine
Breakfast
Lunch
Cakes and snacks
Morning and Afternoon Tea
Functions

Address: 

48-49 Parkland Road - Mt Penang Parklands (Kariong) NSW 2250

Hours:

Monday - Sunday 8.30am-4.30pm

Price Range:

$2.50 to $35

Check Out The Menu:

http://www.waterfallcafe.com.au/ 

Enjoy the tasty food and the beautiful view!
Lots of love,
Monika 

Pizza Pizza, I Like To Eat Pizza!

Criniti’s Italian Restaurant 

Parramatta 

Criniti’s Italian Restaurant is an upmarket Italian dining restaurant. Its stylish design and quality food presentation allow's the place to be a perfect destination for a wonderful take out meal.

Their broad menu offers individuals with a large amount options to choose from and allowing customers to be able to satisfy their hunger at any particular moment in time. Criniti’s serves a main, desert, drinks, kids and breakfast menu. This multifaceted design allows the venue to live up to its reputation.

The service was efficient, suited to the design, presentation and taste of the food. The waiting staff was strong as well adding to the whole experience. Whoever you are or whatever the type of food preference you lean towards Criniti’s Italian Restaurant will certainly satisfy your hunger.

Recommendations:

I personally would recommend having the Italian Pizza, within their main menu, it is a solid option to go for.

Services

Breakfast

Coffee services

Kids menu

Seafood Menu

Tasting Menu

Set Menu

Overall rating: 

4/5 

Location:

219 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150

Price Range:

$7-32

Trading Hours:

Monday:  9am - 8pm

Tuesday:  9am - 8pm

Wednesday: 9am - 8pm

Thursday: 9am - 8pm

Friday: 9am - 8pm

Saturday: 9am – 9pm  

Sunday: 9am- 8pm

Contact: 1300 CRINITIS.

Hope You enjoyed the experience

Justin

Chocolate overdose!

Max Brenner

Tuggerah

After months of avoiding foods with "added sugar" while on my fitness journey, when it came to catching up with my best friend we couldn't think past Max Brenner as an ideal "dinner" choice.

With mouth watering images of the food on the menu and all different indulgent treats visible in the domes in front of the register, we could not wait to spoil ourselves. 

Even though it was a Thursday night, it was not overly busy and while waiting in the queue for about five minutes we were able to (finally) make up our mind! Strawberries & Cream Crepes for me and the Euphoria Banana Split Waffle Sundae for my friend with the addition of icy shakes, a         "Yellow Granita" and "Pink Granita". 

Presentation was breathtaking for a chocolate and sugar deprived person haha and the flavour and overall composition of the desserts definitely did not disappoint. Although completely covered in sugar and chocolate, the servings were nicely balanced, you could easily taste the sweetness but it was not overpowering. Serving size is definitely more than filling! We barely ate everything, but at the same time could not stop. The sundae had a mixture of everything in it and definitely satisfied the sugar cravings, the crepes were a "perfect" choice as a healthy-conscious decision, the thin crepe was filled with freshly whipped cream and lots of fresh strawberries and a chocolate drizzle on top allowed for an unforgettable but not so naughty treat. I definitely recommend it if you don't want to feel overpowered by the taste of chocolate.

Overall Rating:

5/5 Stars

Recommendation:

If you want to spoilt yourself or catch up with friends I can't think of a better spot than Max Brenner! A low key atmosphere and delicious treats that can be easily shared, combined with a quirky fit out of the store is a go to place to relax and unwind!

Services: 

Coffee

Hot & Cold Drinks

Desserts & Snacks

Address:

50 Wyong Rd, Tuggerah NSW 2259

Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9am–10.30pm

Friday and Saturday 9am–midnight

Sunday10am–10.30pm

Price Range:

$2.70 - $19.50

Check Out The Menu: 

http://www.maxbrenner.com.au/

Hope to see you there :)

Until next time,

Monika 

Local Knowledge!

The Royal Exhibition Hotel 

Sydney

On a warm Autumns evening the sun just peeking through the clouds I ventured out with a couple of friends to a well know local Hotel for a couple of drinks and of course dinner in Sydney’s CBD! The Royal Exhibition Hotel known to many locals is perfectly positioned for everyone needs. Right next to Prince Alfred Park and a stone throw away from Central Station there really was no excuse to decline the invite.

Check the train times here:

http://www.sydneytrains.info/timetables/

  

Situating ourselves upstairs in the Cocktail Terrace Beer Garden upstairs we settled in for the night. The boy's watching the NRL previews and the ladies lounging, catching up and gossiping. 

I spent some time perusing the menu- particularly the drinks menu. Quite a variety of beverages were on offer, from creative cocktails and well as an international wine list and beer list and of course coffee. I opted for a watermelon cocktail With the ice blended and a mint to the side it was a good kick start to the evening. 

  

For the main meals I ordered The Peri Peri Chicken Burger with the rest opting for chicken snitzel - The house special. The place was pretty quiet besides the pokies and bar area down stairs. Having the Terrace all to ourselves meant that table service was on the house. Straight away I loved that the burger was on a sour dough bun with the sauce and fillings stacked to the top. This burger was true to its name, House made spicy mayo sauce, cheese, tomato, Peri Peri chicken, spanish onions and lettuce served with a generous pile of hot chips. The chips were surprisingly impressive, although chicken salt always helps! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The Snitzel was also delicious, covered in Diane sauce and stacked high full of chips.

As we relaxed in the beer garden after our meal a musician began to perform. Not only is The Royal Exhibition Hotel an excelled dining spot for families, mates and gatherings but the outdoor setting, the huge wine, beer and food list and the location makes for a perfect place for catches.  Definatly a place I will be revisiting soon. 

Overall Rating:

4/5 Stars

Recommendation:

 Best enjoyed with atmosphere. Bring a bunch of Friends down, enjoy the sunset over Prince Alfred Park and catch up over a few Cocktails

Services: 

3 Bars, All including Cocktail service's 

Bistro

Vip Lounge 

Terrace

Beer Garden 

Location: 

86-88 Chalmers Street (Opposite Central Railway Station)

Hours: 

Thursday:10am–4am

Friday10am–6am

Saturday9am–5am

Sunday10am–10pm

Monday10am–4am

Tuesday10am–4am

Wednesday10am–4am

Price: $10 to $36

Check Out The Menu: http://www.royalexhibition.com.au/

Moreee Toooooo Commmeeee:

Lauren

Great Start To The Day!

Cocoa Bar

Newport 

After being dragged out of bed for a sunrise visit to the beach, it was time for some breakfast and much needed coffee. It was convenient, served coffee and had bacon and eggs so I entered.

The service was great. The guy at the counter seemed very nice and accommodated our large group with no issues whatsoever. Decor was cool as well with the beachy, hipster vibe apparent.

The coffee was very nice but could have been a bit stronger as I was a bit tired and grumpy. The love heart pattern with the milk was cool.

The food was delicious. I ordered the breakfast stack with poached egg, sourdough toast, bacon, smoked salmon and baby spinach. Plenty of other options were also available like pancakes, salad and lunch options. However, it was fairly expensive at $19 for a single meal at breakfast.

Overall, the place is in a great location, has great food and vibe but is pretty expensive for what you get. 

Overall Rating: 

4/5 Stars

Recommendation: 

 The Breakfast Stack!

Services:

Barista coffee

Outdoor and indoor seating

All day breakfast

Address:
366 Barrenjoey Rd, Newport NSW 2106

Hours: 

Weekdays: 6:00am--3:00pm. (Kitchen 7:30am--2:00pm)
Weekends: 7:00am--3:00pm. (Kitchen 7:30am--2:00pm)Public Holidays: 8:00am--1:00pm

Price range:$10-$30

Im not a morning person,Patrick